


In Disguise

by thraxbaby



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-14 03:29:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16032056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thraxbaby/pseuds/thraxbaby
Summary: Every year at the masquerade, Asra meets a mysterious girl. Inspired by the song In Disguise by Aurelio Voltaire.





	In Disguise

The Masquerade was in full swing. Asra sat in his makeshift tent, selling masks that he and Muriel had made. He had set up at one of the busiest places right outside the palace, having claimed his spot the night before by camping out there. It wasn't terrible. Better than the beach, at least. The crowd revelling in the streets got a little rowdy, pushing other party goers this way and that. From the crowd stumbled a girl. 

She tripped over another partier's shoe and landed right in Asra's tent. Asra rushed over to help her up. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, helping her back on her feet. She smiled, making his heart skip a beat. She was beautiful. Her eyes sparkled like diamonds, her full lips painted red, and hair black as night. 

"I'm fine. Thank you for helping me." she said. Her voice was musical; a sound sweeter than any fancy instrument could ever hope of making. Asra looked away, hiding the pink that was most definitely coloring his cheeks. On display in his tent was a mask he felt would match her dress. He grabbed it, about to offer it to her for free, but when he turned back to her, she was gone. Asra's heart sank. He never even got her name. 

... 

The next year, Asra set up shop right outside the palace once again. He remembered the girl from last year, how she affected him more than anyone ever had. He wondered if she was here? Asra shook his head. He had to stop thinking about her. If she left so quickly, then she wanted nothing to do with him. It was better to just move on. 

As if sensing his sadness, a clown girl from the nearby circus tent came his way. Wearing a costume more colorful than anything even Asra owned, her face was painted white, while her lips, nose, and cheeks were red. A mop of multi-colored hair sat on her head. Her eyes reflected the bright colors all around them, sparkling like a rainbow. She didn't say a word, but mimed everything in an exaggerated manner. 

She pretended to sob, then shrugged, silently asking why Asra looked so sad. 

"It's nothing." Asra said. It was then that Faust poked her head up from his scarf. The clown girl made a surprised face, then held up a finger. She pulled out a long balloon and blew it up. She twisted it this way and that, then offered it to Asra. It looked exactly the same as before she started. She had a ridiculous grin on her face, as she pointed between the balloon and Faust. Then Asra got it: it was a snake balloon animal. Asra laughed, his eyes scrunching up in delight. When he opened his eyes again, the clown girl was gone. 

_Can have?_

"Sure, Faust. You can have it." Faust wrapped herself around the balloon, happily squeezing it. 

... 

The next year at the Masquerade, Asra packed up early and walked around the palace grounds, looking at all the different rooms. One room in particular caught his attention. The man at the door said the room was filled with dangerous creatures, captured from foreign lands. Asra could tell they were just regular humans in costume, but with the dim lighting and superb costume design, one's fear might make it more believable. 

There were werewolves in chains, a vampire that rose from a coffin, and mummies shuffling about. Then, Asra heard a growl in his ear. She had blended in with the shadows. Her mouth was stained red with blood (that smelled suspiciously like cherries) and had antlers taller than his arms were long. Her eyes reflected the candlelight, glittering with hunger. A wendigo. 

There was a macabre kind of beauty about her. She looked at Asra like she wanted to devour his entire being. She was so beautiful, Asra just might have let her. Another person screamed somewhere in the room, getting Asra's attention. Looking back to the wendigo, Asra found she had disappeared. 

Asra walked about the masquerade in a daze. How was it that every masquerade, he fell for a new girl only to lose her the second he looked away? Was he really so mercurial that he fell so easily for all these different girls? He sighed. It was best not to dwell on it. 

... 

The next year, Asra walked among the different displays, wondering what he would find. There was a room of performers - dancers dressed in scandalous costumes of reds and oranges upon a stage decorated like a scene from hell. The main dancer who danced front and center was dressed like a succubus with great leathery wings. She spotted him in the crowd and waved seductively, showing off sharp fangs as she smiled and her eyes shining like hellfire. 

"Wow." She was so beautiful! She moved so gracefully, like a flame in a fireplace. No- like a wildfire. Asra felt chills run down his back. He was so entranced with this girl, it was like she had stolen his heart, his soul. He would wait until the girls stopped dancing, then he would go introduce himself, Asra decided. But when the music ended, there was a puff of smoke and all the girls had disappeared into thin air. 

Asra went backstage and asked about the succubus, but everyone said she had already left. He questioned them further, wanting to know where she went, but he almost got thrown out by a security guard. Asra left the room, disappointed in himself once again. 

... 

The next year at the masquerade, Asra was back in his tent, selling his homemade masks. He was in a better place, financially wise. He found lodging in the form of an old hut in the woods. He made better money now that word of his talent as a fortune teller has spread to the richer neighborhoods. 

Amongst the party goers examining his wares, he spotted a cave girl. She had messy hair and was dressed in furs. Though there was more of her flesh on display than the meager furs could cover. She must have been a performer from another tent, taking a break between shows. 

Asra was helpless to the feeling of once again falling in love with a mysterious girl at the masquerade. His heart once again skipped a beat as he stared into her eyes. But a group of people wanted to make a purchase and Asra watched as yet another mystery girl walked away. 

... 

It was the masquerade once again and this year, Asra decided not to go. Instead, he sat at the docks, looking out over the water. He wanted to spare his heart the anguish of falling in love again. 

A great ship caught his attention, coming closer to the docks. The sound of sea shanties being sung echoed over the water. These people came for the masquerade and they were obviously half drunk already. As they got closer, Asra spotted a figure standing majestically at the wheel. She had a wide hat decorated with large feathers. Her outfit was nothing like a common sailor would wear. These were pirates. 

Asra watched the crew drop anchor and spill out of the ship, singing and dancing through the streets. Following behind was their captain, a beautiful pirate queen. She spotted Asra and approached him. 

"Hello, stranger." she said.

"You look like someone I'd like to know." Asra greeted. And it was true. Ilya has so many interesting stories of being a pirate. Perhaps she did, as well. 

"Yet, I almost feel like you do know me." she replied. Asra had the same feeling. There was something about her... 

"Do you not recognize me? It's me. The girl that stumbled into your tent five years ago, the clown girl, the wendigo, succubus, and cave girl. Every year, I came to the masquerade, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful, white-haired magician who stole my heart with a single look." Asra was shocked. Somehow, he had fallen in love with the same girl year after year. How had he seen past the disguise? 

"I looked for you. Why did you never stick around? Why did you always disappear?" Asra questioned. 

"I wasn't in a good place. Became indebted to the wrong people. If they knew I liked you, they might have hurt you, as well. But I'm free now, and I'm not going anywhere." She intertwined her fingers with his. 

Asra remembered something and pulled it out of his bag. It was the mask he had intended on giving to her all those years ago. He gave it to her. She smiled as she accepted it. It matched her new outfit perfectly. One last disguise. One last disguise, but this time, he wouldn't lose her. They finally found each other and Asra wasn't letting go any time soon.


End file.
